Inhibition of TRIM32 by ibr-7 treatment sensitizes pancreatic cancer cells to gemcitabine via mTOR/p70S6K pathway.

Pancreatic cancer is one of the most notorious diseases for being asymptomatic at early stage and high mortality rate thereafter. However, either chemotherapy or targeted therapy has rarely achieved success in recent clinical trials for pancreatic cancer. Novel therapeutic regimens or agents are urgently in need. Ibr-7 is a novel derivative of ibrutinib, displaying superior antitumour activity in pancreatic cancer cells than ibrutinib. In vitro studies showed that ibr-7 greatly inhibited the proliferation of BxPC-3, SW1990, CFPAC-1 and AsPC-1 cells via the induction of mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis and substantial suppression of mTOR/p70S6K pathway. Moreover, ibr-7 was able to sensitize pancreatic cancer cells to gemcitabine through the efficient repression of TRIM32, which was positively correlated with the proliferation and invasiveness of pancreatic cancer cells. Additionally, knockdown of TRIM32 diminished mTOR/p70S6K activity in pancreatic cancer cells, indicating a positive feedback loop between TRIM32 and mTOR/p70S6K pathway. To conclude, this work preliminarily explored the role of TRIM32 in the malignant properties of pancreatic cancer cells and evaluated the possibility of targeting TRIM32 to enhance effectiveness of gemcitabine, thereby providing a novel therapeutic target for pancreatic cancer.

A novel derivative of valepotriate inhibits the PI3K/AKT pathway and causes Noxa-dependent apoptosis in human pancreatic cancer cells.

Natural compound valepotriate exhibits inhibitory activity against a number of cancers, but the effect of valepotriate against pancreatic cancer is unclear, and the structure-activity relationship of valepotriate has not been characterized. In this study, we performed a structure-based similarity search and found 16 hit compounds. Among the 16 hits, (1S,6S,7R)-6-(acetyloxy)-1-[(3-methylbutanoyl)oxy]-4a,5,6,7a-tetrahydro-1H-spiro[cyclopenta[c]pyran-7,2'-oxiran]-4-ylmethyl 3-methylbutanoate (denoted as Amcp) exhibited superior anticancer activity against human pancreatic cancer BxPC-3 and SW1990 cells. The anti-proliferation activity of Amcp was validated in human pancreatic cancer BxPC-3 and SW1990 cells in vitro. Amcp more effectively induced apoptosis in BxPC-3 and SW1990 cells than gemcitabine. At a concentration of 15 µM, Amcp significantly suppressed the PI3K/AKT pathway and disrupted the mitochondrial membrane equilibrium through modulation of Noxa and Mcl-1 balance in both cell lines. Meanwhile, knockdown of Noxa substantially attenuated Amcp-induced reduction of cell viability and anti-apoptotic protein Mcl-1 level in BxPC-3 cells. In addition, Amcp showed synergistic anticancer effects when combined with gemcitabine in BxPC-3 cells. To conclude, this work not only suggests that Amcp possesses a dual-inhibitory activity towards PI3K/AKT pathway and Mcl-1, but also enlightens further development of bioactive valepotriate derivatives.

Identification of new NIK inhibitors by discriminatory analysis-based molecular docking and biological evaluation.

NF-κB inducing kinase (NIK) is a key regulator in the noncanonical nuclear factor κB cells (NF-κB) signaling pathway. Dysregulation of NIK is often related with autoimmune disorders and malignancies. However, the number of reported NIK inhibitors is scarce. Discriminatory analysis-based molecular docking was used to examine the accuracy of the binding conformation and to estimate the binding affinity, leading to the identification of several new NIK inhibitors with moderate IC50 (ranging from 48.9 to 103.4 µM). Among them, compound 5, the most potent one (IC50 48.9 ± 6.9 µM), also showed moderate antiproliferation activity against cancer SW1990 cells, with an IC50 value of 20.1 ± 6.0 µM. Further dynamic simulations were performed to provide more in-depth details on the binding conformation of compound 5 and the NIK protein, providing some structural clues for further optimization of compound 5 as a novel NIK inhibitor.

Dual-negative expression of Nrf2 and NQO1 predicts superior outcomes in patients with non-small cell lung cancer.

Functional studies in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients revealed that hyperactivation of the NF-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) pathway facilitates tumor growth. We examined the usefulness of Nrf2 and NQO1 as indicators of prognosis in NSCLC. Tumor and adjacent non-tumor tissue samples were collected from 215 NSCLC patients who had tumor resections between 2006 and 2011. Immunohistochemistry was performed to detect Nrf2 or NQO1 expression. The correlation between Nrf2 or NQO1 expression and survival outcomes was evaluated using the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox proportional hazards regression model. Levels of Nrf2 and NQO1 were elevated in tumor tissues. In particular, Nrf2 was elevated in nearly all tumor cells. NQO1 expression positively correlated with Nrf2 expression (P = 0.039). Nrf2 expression positively correlated with lymph node metastasis (P = 0.001) and negatively correlated with tumor differentiation (P = 0.032). As compared with either Nrf2 or NQO1 alone, dual-negative expression of Nrf2 and NQO1 was more predictive of superior overall survival (P = 0.020) and disease free survival (P = 0.037). Subgroup analyses showed that females, nonsmokers, and patients with advanced-stage NSCLC were suitable populations in which to evaluate prognosis based on Nrf2 and NQO1 co-expression. These results indicate that dual-negative expression of Nrf2 and NQO1 is predictive of a better prognosis in NSCLC patients.

Negative Association of Circulating MicroRNA-126 with High-sensitive C-reactive Protein and Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease Following Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.

BACKGROUND: Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) causes endothelial damage, resulting in an inflammatory response with elevation of markers such as high-sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1), which are associated with restenosis after PCI. Evidence suggests that microRNA-126 (miR-126) plays an important role in vascular inflammation, but its correlation with PCI-mediated inflammation has not been investigated. In this study, we investigated the effect of PCI on circulating miR-126 and inflammation markers such as hs-CRP and VCAM-1. METHODS: We enrolled 130 patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) in the Second Hospital of Jilin University from October 2015 to December 2015. Among them, 82 patients with CAD, defined as at least one major epicardial vessel with >70% stenosis who planned to undergo PCI, were divided into acute coronary syndrome (ACS) group (46 patients) and stable angina (SA) group (36 patients). Forty-eight patients confirmed by coronary angiography without PCI were used as controls. The plasmas of all patients were collected prior to PCI and at 30 min, 24 h, and 72 h after PCI. The plasma VCAM-1 and hs-CRP were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and the miR-126 was evaluated by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: Plasma concentrations of hs-CRP and VCAM-1 in patients with either ACS (n = 46) or SA (n = 36) were significantly higher than in controls (n = 48) (P < 0.01) prior to PCI, and increased further at 24 h and 72 h after PCI, compared with prior PCI. Moreover, VCAM-1 was positively correlated with balloon time and pressure. In contrast, the plasma concentration of miR-126 was significantly lower in patients with CAD than in controls, and further decreased with time post-PCI. A negative correlation was observed between miR-126 and hs-CRP and VCAM-1 at 72 h after PCI. CONCLUSION: There was a negative correlation of miR-126 with the PCI-induced markers of inflammation such as hs-CRP and VCAM-1.

MicroRNA-210 Plays a Critical Role in the Angiogenic Effect of Isoprenaline on Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells via Regulation of Noncoding RNAs.

BACKGROUND: ß-adrenoceptors play a crucial regulatory role in blood vessel endothelial cells. Isoprenaline (ISO, a ß-adrenergic agonist) has been reported to promote angiogenesis through upregulation of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression; however, the underlying mechanism remains to be investigated. It is widely accepted that certain noncoding RNAs, including microRNAs (miRNAs) and long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), can regulate endothelial cell behavior, including their involvement in angiogenesis. Therefore, we aimed to investigate whether noncoding RNAs participate in ISO-mediated angiogenesis using human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). METHODS: We evaluated VEGF-A messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein levels in ISO-treated HUVECs by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, respectively. To establish whether noncoding RNAs are associated with ISO-mediated angiogenesis, we measured expression of the miRNAs miR-210, miR-21, and miR-1, as well as that of the lncRNAs growth arrest-specific transcript 5 (GAS5), maternally expressed 3 (MEG3), and metastasis-associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1 (MALAT1) in HUVECs exposed to ISO. Furthermore, to ascertain its importance in ISO-mediated angiogenesis, we constructed the HUVECs with overexpressing miR-210 and detected the subsequent expression of VEGF-A and noncoding RNAs. All statistical analyses were performed using SPSS 16.0 software. Intergroup comparisons were carried out by one-way analysis of variance. RESULTS: VEGF-A mRNA levels were elevated in the ISO group (1.57 ± 0.09) compared to those in the control group (P < 0.01). Moreover, concentrations of VEGF-A in culture supernatants significantly differed between the control (113.00 ± 19.21 pg/ml) and ISO groups (287.00 ± 20.27 pg/ml; P< 0.01). Expression of miR-1, miR-21, and miR-210 was higher (3.89 ± 0.44, 2.87 ± 087, and 3.33 ± 1.31, respectively) in ISO-treated cells than that in controls (P < 0.01), whereas that of GAS5 and MEG3 (0.22 ± 0.10 and 0.58 ± 0.16, respectively) was lower as a result of ISO administration (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the expression of MALAT1 between the groups. Interestingly, miR-210 overexpression heightened the levels of VEGF-A and miR-21 (5.87 ± 1.24 and 2.74 ± 1.15, respectively; P< 0.01) and reduced those of GAS5 and MEG3 (0.19 ± 0.01 and 0.09 ± 0.05, respectively; P< 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: ISO-mediated angiogenesis was associated with altered expression of miR-210, miR-21, and the lncRNAs GAS5 and MEG3. The effects of miR-210 on the expression of VEGF-A and noncoding RNAs were similar to those of ISO, indicating that it might play an important role in ISO-mediated angiogenesis.

MicroRNA-130a alleviates human coronary artery endothelial cell injury and inflammatory responses by targeting PTEN via activating PI3K/Akt/eNOS signaling pathway.

Our study aims to investigate the roles of microRNA-130a (miR-130a) in human coronary artery endothelial cells (HCAECs) injury and inflammatory responses by targeting PTEN through the PI3K/Akt/eNOS signaling pathway. HCAECs were treated with 1.0 mmol/L homocysteine (HCY) and assigned into eight groups: the blank group, the negative control (NC) group, the miR-130a mimics group, the miR-130a inhibitors group, the si-PTEN group, the Wortmannin group, the miR-130a inhibitors + si-PTEN group and the miR-130a mimics + Wortmannin group. Luciferase reporter gene assay was used to validate the relationship between miR-130a and PTEN. The expressions of miR-130a, PTEN and PI3K/Akt/eNOS signaling pathway-related proteins were detected by qRT-PCR assay and Western blotting. MTT assay and Hoechst 33258 staining were adopted to testify cell growth and apoptosis. The NO kit assay was used to detect the NO release. ELISA was conducted to measure serum cytokine levels. Luciferase reporter gene assay confirmed the target relationship between miR-130a and PTEN. Compared with the blank and NC groups, the miR-130a mimics and si-PTEN groups showed significant increases in the expressions of PI3K/Akt/eNOS signaling pathway-related proteins, cell viability and the NO release, while serum cytokine levels and cell apoptosis were decreased; by contrast, an opposite trend was observed in miR-130a inhibitors and Wortmannin groups. However, no significant difference was found in the miR-130a inhibitors + si-PTEN and miR-130a mimics + Wortmannin groups when compared with the blank group. These results indicate that miR-130a could alleviate HCAECs injury and inflammatory responses by down-regulating PTEN and activating PI3K/Akt/eNOS signaling pathway.

Deacetylisovaltratum disrupts microtubule dynamics and causes G2/M-phase arrest in human gastric cancer cells in vitro.

AIM: Deacetylisovaltratum (DI) is isolated from the traditional Chinese herbal medicine Patrinia heterophylla Bunge, which exhibits anti-cancer activity. Here, we investigated the effects of DI on human gastric carcinoma cell lines in vitro and elucidated its anti-cancer mechanisms. METHODS: Human gastric carcinoma AGS and HGC-27 cell lines were treated with DI, and cell viability was detected with MTT assay. Cell cycle stages, apoptosis and mitochondrial membrane potential were measured using flow cytometry. Protein levels were analyzed by Western blotting. Tubulin polymerization assays and immunofluorescence were used to characterize the tubulin polymerization process. RESULTS: DI inhibited the cell viability of AGS and HGC-27 cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner with IC50 values of 12.0 and 28.8 µmol/L, respectively, at 24 h of treatment. Treatment with DI (10-100 µmol/L) dose-dependently promoted tubulin polymerization, and induced significant G2/M cell cycle arrest in AGS and HGC-27 cells. Moreover, DI treatment disrupted mitochondrial membrane potential and induced caspase-dependent apoptosis in AGS and HGC-27 cells. CONCLUSION: DI induces G2/M-phase arrest by disrupting tubulin polymerization in human gastric cancer cells, which highlights its potent anti-cancer activity and potential application in gastric cancer therapy.

Role of p38 MAPK in enhanced human cancer cells killing by the combination of aspirin and ABT-737.

Regular use of aspirin after diagnosis is associated with longer survival among patients with mutated-PIK3CA colorectal cancer, but not among patients with wild-type PIK3CA cancer. In this study, we showed that clinically achievable concentrations of aspirin and ABT-737 in combination could induce a synergistic growth arrest in several human PIK3CA wild-type cancer cells. In addition, our results also demonstrated that long-term combination treatment with aspirin and ABT-737 could synergistically induce apoptosis both in A549 and H1299 cells. In the meanwhile, short-term aspirin plus ABT-737 combination treatment induced a greater autophagic response than did either drug alone and the combination-induced autophagy switched from a cytoprotective signal to a death-promoting signal. Furthermore, we showed that p38 acted as a switch between two different types of cell death (autophagy and apoptosis) induced by aspirin plus ABT-737. Moreover, the increased anti-cancer efficacy of aspirin combined with ABT-737 was further validated in a human lung cancer A549 xenograft model. We hope that this synergy may contribute to failure of aspirin cancer therapy and ultimately lead to efficacious regimens for cancer therapy.